Railroad-switch-operating device.



R. R. MILLER. RAILROAD SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED MAR.27, 1908.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Inventor: Q74/Z By tion of my invention that attaches to the car ROYALRUEBEN MILLER,

or PUEBLO, COLORADO.

RAILROAD-SWIT OH-OI ERAT ING- DEVICE Specification of Application filedMarch 27,

Letters Patent.

1908. Serial No. 423,676.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL R-UininN MIL- man, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pueblo, in the county of lueblo and State ofColorado, have invented a new and use ful Improvement inRailroad-Switch-Open ating Devices, of which the following is a.specification.

My invention relates to railroad switch operating devices in which themechanism that is carried by the car has cable means for accommodatingthe movement of the car bed and trucks in turning curves, and has springmeans of centering a switching arm, and a spring means for allowing theswitching pin to pass over an immovable 0 set.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a springing action toall the necessary movements of an automatic switch operating device; andsecond, to provide a means for accommodating the movements of the carbed and truck in turning curves. 1 attain these objects by themechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of that portruck. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of that portion of my invention that attaches to the car floor;Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the switching arm and pin inpartial cross-section; and Fig. t is a side elevation of a portion ofthe front end of a street car in partial broken section with the carattachment of my invention mounted in place.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In this application I employ certain devices, and do not claim broadlynovelty in operating switch levers as in my former invention patentedJune 10, 1908, No. 890,784, where air in ans was provided to actuate theswitch throwing device and certain spring means were therein provided;and also in my former patent, March 24, 1908, No. 882,707, spring meansfor returning the switch operating mechanisms was proviced but not inthe combination and without the arrangements herein provided.

Attached to the car in the motormans stand is a bell-crank lever havingarms 2 and at on the pivot 2 held by pivot piece 3 underneath the floorof the car. Extending through the floor of the car is the rod 5 providedwith the foot piece 5* attached to arm 4: of the bell-crank lever. Atthe end of the arm 2 is attached the cable 1 which extends backwardunderneath the floor of the car to the pulley 6 a place as near aspossible to the kingbolt connecting the truck bearing and the car body.The other end of the cable 1 is attached to a lever 7. A springcontaining frame 10 is provided with upward extending elements 10 inwhich is pivot bearing 7 for lever 7. The spring containing frame 10 isextended and provided with attaching slot 20 and set screw 21 forattachment to truck frames, or a bar in front of the trucks. Theelements 22 having the form of an arc of a circle are made a part of theframe 10. The lever 7 has an extended arm 8 and is joined to the upperpart of the cap 16. The bent square switching arm 11 has attached at itstop the cap 16 and the arm passes through the circular opening in thetop of the frame 10. A. spiral spring 17 is provided that raises thelever end 8, attached to the switching arm 11, to the required position.The switching arm passes through a circular hole in the central part ofelements 22 and attached thereto is the centering arm 19* which is provided with a square hole fitting and slidable on lever 11 at 19 withextended arm 19 in which at the end thereof is provided a hole throughwhich is loosely operative the rod 2 1, which rod 2 1 is provided withthreads and nuts at each end attaching it firmly to said elements 22. Cheach side of centering arm 19 and operative against its respective sideof said arm and the end of said circularelement 22 is placed a spiralspring 23 around said rod 2st. Between the attachment of the centeringarm 19 at 19 on lever 11 and the underside of the top of frame 10 adistance washer isplaced.

The horizontal arm 11 of the switching lever is provided with a hole forthe pin 15 by means of which the switching pin it is attached having thefoot 12. The hole through which said switching pin operates is soconstructed that the bottom of the pin may have a backward movement. Onthe top of arm 11 and in front of the switching pin a space is providedin which is placed a spiral spring 26 which is held in place byretaining piece 25. On the lower side of arm 11 and immediately back ofsaid Patented Aug. 2a, 1909.

switching pin a space is provided in which cable 1 pulls lever 7 forwardforcing the switching arm 11 downward vand causes the foot piece 12 ofthe switching pin to engage the ground switching construction. I amaware that cables have been used and bellc-rank levers in suchconstruction, but in my device the arrangement of the cable is such thatit is attached near-the kingbolt and then passes forward to theoperating device giving an immediate adjustment to the curves in thetrack without the intervention of other mechanisms, so that whatever therelative position of the body of the car and the trucks, by thisarrangement that I have provided, immediate adjustment is made and theswitch operating device operated while the switch operating device iscarried, at all :times relative to the track and wheels in a fixedposition. By means of the spiral spring 17 the switching lever 11 isreturned to its normal position when pressure on the foot piece 5 isremovec. The arrangement of the spiral springs on the centering armgives the advantage of the required strength and a yielding to lateralpressure of the end 11 of switching lever so that in case the grounddevice becomes blocked or the arm will yield before a breaking strainhas been reached and the arm would return to its normal position. By theprovision I have made for spring means as applied to the switching pinthe required amount of strength may be obtained and release to the pinin case the pressure becomes great so that breaking of the mechanismwould be avoided and thus the pin would pass over tively to engage aswitching lever carried by the car truck, all substantially asdescribed.

2. In an automatic switchoperatin-gdevice of the character described, acentering arm slidably engaging a switching lever, centering springsengaging each side of said centering arm, a spring containing frame:carrying said centering arm, centering spring and switching leverattached to the truck of the car, all substantially as described.

3. In an automatic switch operating device a of the character described,a switching pin pivoted in a switching lever With spring the bottom ofsaid pin backward, all substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROYAL RUEBEN MILLER.

WVit-nesses:

GEO. L. WVALKER, C. M. WALKER.

cushioned means permitting movement of

